Run for the Nation

Run for the Nation

This Friday, we were privileged at FGB Jaya One to have brother Victor Chua share his testimony with us. Victor Chua, elder brother of our Chapter President Damien, is most well known for being the founder and organizer of Run for the Nation (also popularly known as RunNat) which is a spectacular annual Christian event sweeping across the nation. The simple yet powerful principle behind this event is for Christians everywhere across Malaysia to run together and pray, impacting communities, peoples, and ultimately the nation.

Born in 1967, brother Victor first became a Christian at the age of 16 on the lsland of St.John after hearing a Pastor preach in BM about Jesus using the analogy of a friend. This aspect somehow touched brother Victor deeply, and soon after, he became very involved in church activities – the worship team, the youth group, and many other ministries. However, as he grew older, he felt that things were becoming a bit dry, and he sometimes wondered “Where’s the fire in my life?” Brother Victor realized that he somehow lacked a sense of purpose, a sense of relevance in life. He would go to church and walk the talk, but somehow he was stuck in a bind. Even bringing a friend to church seemed difficult. And for many other Christians, this is a common experience.

While worshipping, brother Victor realized that the title of the day’s message should be based on Jeremiah 29:11 where the Lord declares that He knows the thoughts he has for you, to prosper you, and not to harm you, and to give you hope and a future. All of us have a great hope to go to Heaven to be with God one day, but there are many interlinked hopes that we also have in life. Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for the good of those who have been called according to God’s purpose. There is a purpose in each one of us, and if we seek the Lord, He will lead us to find it.

In 2005, during a Home Fellowship meeting, brother Victor had a guest speaker Pastor Tony, who was a prophet, pray over him. In a special word for him, Pastor Tony saw Victor moving in the area of administration. Now this was strange to Victor, for all along, his interest had been in music and worship.  So he did not give it much thought for a while.

Not long after, in a meeting with a Christian brother, Kiau, Victor was invited to go and play badminton together. Victor agreed, but there was no further response for some time, so Victor called him. Surprisingly, brother Kiau asked Victor to join him to meet up with Pastor Leong Chik Kee. Their conversation led to talk about a sports fellowship, and then suddenly, Victor found himself appointed head of the FGA Sports Fellowship. Now, Victor was not a sports person, having asthma in his younger years, and not excelling in any particular sport. However, here he found himself organizing and administrating sports activities for the Home Fellowships. Soon his committee put together a badminton tournament and then a futsal tournament, and then in 2007, a large scale inter-church sports carnival with 4000 participants. About that time, a brother reminded him of the prophecy he received about administration.

Now brother Victor used to be a poor administrator in his younger days. Once he organizing a show on “The Cross and the Switchblade” which included a group of youths coming up specially from Muar. However, because there was no time to test the show reel, it failed and the whole show was a disaster. Victor did not speak to anyone for a week after that, and pretty much gave up organizing for a while. So it was indeed strange how God’s calling came to him.

One of brother Victor’s hobbies was running, and after these events, he was running one day with a brother from SIB, talking about politics in about May or June 2007. After some time, Victor said “Why are talking about this and not praying?” Then came a brainchild “Why don’t we get people to come out and pray and run?” Shortly, brother Victor saw his pastor about organizing a prayer run in October that same year. 105 runners signed up and prayed for their neighborhoods across the Klang Valley. Afterwards, all the runners had a wonderful time of prayer together. In planning and administrating this first event, Victor had felt a connection, a wonderful feeling or purpose, but he thought it would be a once-off event and nothing was planned for 2008. However, politics still dominated the national scene, and the need for praying for the nation still was increasingly important. So, while talking with friends in a coffee shop one day, brother Victor again felt the inspiration to organize the run again. This time, his idea was to do it throughout Malaysia. Now one of brother Victor’s gifts from God is boldness, and once he receives an idea or an inspiration, he will go all out to see it through.

So he met Sam Ang, the secretary general of NECF and received their blessing to go ahead with the national run, which would be held by the end of 2009. Man has his plans, but ultimately it is God behind the scene always, His Spirit touching the right people at the right time. Whatever our gifting, we have the potential to do great and amazing things. A sense of deep purpose had come back to Victor, and the change showed in his countenance and the way he spoke. In 2009, RunNat was birthed as 1500 runners throughout Malaysia took part and ran and prayed for abundant life to come to the nation. In 2010, brother Victor led RunNat again, this time in partnership with GDOP(Global Day of Prayer) and SPM (Sports Partnership Malaysia). In encouraging running and praying as a lifestyle, RunNat proceeded to have a monthly run in different parts of KL, and it was an eye-opening experience for the runners in the different areas. Around that time, some of the RunNat committee were invited to go to East Malaysia and pray for the people there as part of the NECF initiative for East and West Malaysians to pray together. Knowing of their trip, Malaysian Care asked Victor to bring a folder there titled Micah2010, which was a special project to spread awareness of poverty issues. Reading through it, Victor was inspired to ask his committee not just to go there but to bless the people there. They visited and brought provisions for a poor Bidayu family. The parents had 5 children but had to give 1 away because they could not afford to take care of them. One of the boys was epileptic and a social worker told the committee that if you were poor and had an invalid at home, it was a disaster. They had no electricity because they could not afford the RM3,000 fee for TNB to bring a line to their home. However, in praying for them, the committee felt a strong presence of God.

After that experience, brother Victor was inspired to read all he could in the Bible. He found out that a huge chunk of the Word spoke about this. More than 2000 verses speak of poverty, justice and oppression. In Jeremiah 22:16, the Lord said that it went well with Judah when they judged the cause of the poor and needy. And Isaiah 58 has become the chapter of brother Victor’s life.

In Isaiah 58, God admonishes His people that their fasting is useless because they do not take care of the poor in the community. He calls them to go and meet the needs around them to please Him. Then He would hear when they seek Him.

Brother Victor realized that running and praying was not enough. His runners needed to be the salt and light. He said “It is not enough to just speak about good news but to experience salvation throughout my life, who I impact, how I impact.” As a young man, Victor’s father went to London with only a few hundred to study law, but found a way to overcome and succeed. Hardship teaches us humility that is important. Yet, there are many people who just can’t get out of their situation. The church can do so much more.

So Victor went back to Malaysian care, saying that the folder had changed his mind and thinking. He now wanted his runners to do something different, to actually go and impact the community where they ran. He sought the help of Partners in Enterprise on how to help the poor break the cycle of poverty, Sports Partnership Malaysia, on how to use Sports to do evangelism, FGB for funding. All in 8 organizations became involved in forming RunNat Grace – Grace standing for Greater Run and Community Engagement. The principle was not just to pray but to bless the community around. These good works are so important as part of nation-building. Christians are not meant to be light covered by a cloth, but to shine across the whole world.

In Acts 6, the early church came across an early problem because the Grecian widows were being overlooked in favor of the Hebrew widows. The apostles quickly realized that it was an important issue but they themselves had to concentrate on praying and preaching the Word. Therefore they appointed 7 godly men to oversee the administration of the food distribution. After that, the church grew greatly. The Acts church is a model for our church today. Sometimes, the church just needs to go out and help the needy, without any agenda. Jesus came to the poorest of the land. When He comes again, He will eradicate poverty.

Brother Victor’s testimony shows us the importance of seeking purpose, of pursuing what God has placed in our hearts for his glory, and to always be involved in seeking out and helping the poor for God’s heart is always there.

  

Footmen and horses

Footmen and horses

Scripture:- If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? Jeremiah 12:5

Observation:- Jeremiah starts off complaining to God about how the wicked and the treacherous prosper. He speaks of the land mourning and the beasts and birds perishing because of the wicked in the land.

The Lord answers Jeremiah in a most interesting way. Firstly, he gives him the picture of a man running with footmen compared to the same man running with horses. Jeremiah was bogged down by little things, easily upset by some of the early opposition that beset him. However, the Lord had in mind far greater things for Jeremiah. His ministry would grow and his name become more and more powerful as Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry for the Lord would lead him to become one of the most important prophets of his time. For us too, sometimes we become weary and tired and discouraged over little things, little setbacks. However, our loving Lord has in mind far greater things for us. We need to look beyond the immediate problems and inconveniences, but continue to seek the destiny that the Lord has for us. We are meant to run with horses and not just with footmen.

Secondly, the Lord gave the contrasting pictures of a land at peace compared to a flood when the river Jordan overflowed. In our peaceful land, we are angry over traffic jams and poor service, but in places like Japan, where life and death is touch and go and many have lost everything in the earthquake and tsunami, they have a much deeper perspective of things. If we do not know how to be thankful to God and appreciate peace during the good times, how can we survive when terrible disaster comes? Indeed, we need to learn to look at the big picture, and be thankful for the simple things in life.

Application:- Meditate on how easily we are frustrated and angry at very little things. Ask God to help us look at life from a deeper perspective, and learn to be thankful for the simple, little things.

Prayer:- Lord, thank You for all that You give me in Your wonderful love. Help me appreciate the little things in life, and develop a deeper perspective and not to be troubled or angry over small things. Bless You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen. 

The progression of sin

The progression of sin

Scripture:- Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not. Jeremiah 11:8

Observation:- In Jeremiah’s discourse to the people, the Lord declared in this verse three things that the people of Judah did wrong in breaking the covenant with the Lord. Firstly, they did not obey. Secondly, they did not listen. Thirdly, they walked according to their evil heart.

The first sin, the sin of disobedience gives us the picture of a person knowing a law but purposely breaking it. For example, a boy has been told not to steal, but still goes ahead and steals. He knows the law, he knows it is wrong, but still goes ahead and does it.

The second sin, not listening, is the sin of rebellion. One gets the image of a mother scolding a child for some mischief, but the child just ignores her or lets the words go in one ear and come out the other.

The third sin, living according to one’s own pleasure is outright lawlessness. The child has totally no regard for rules or right and wrong anymore but goes out and does whatever appeals to him. The result is recklessness and total disregard for morality and justice.

We can see here that there is a progression of sins:- First, law-breaking, then a hardening of the heart, and then, total disregard for one’s conscience. In Romans 1, Paul talks about this degeneration. Although God’s qualities and existence was clear to all from His creation, men did not glorify God or expressed thanks to Him but instead in their vain imaginations, made and worshipped images of men and animals. So God gave them up to vile affections, so that men and women did even things against the laws of nature.   

Application:- Some of us may be trapped in a particular area of disobedience. The Holy Spirit may be speaking to us to come out and repent. We need to listen to God’s voice and change. If we continue hardening our hearts, it is a matter of time before we degrade into worse and worse conditions of sin.

Prayer: Lord, you know my heart and all my thoughts. Forgive me, O Lord, in the area where I am disobedient to You. Set me free by the power of Your blood, Lord Jesus, and help me walk in the right way. I bless you and thank You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

The signs of heaven

The signs of heaven

Scripture:- Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. Jeremiah 10:2

Observation:- What are the signs of heaven? Great thunderstorms, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, tsunamis and floods. Even the absence of rain is a great sign, for without rain, the crops perish and the people suffer. How did the heathen respond to these? They made idols out of wood, silver and gold, they worshipped the sun and the moon, the rain, the river, the mountains, the volcanoes. They thought that these things were gods and worshipped them out of fear.

However, we who have the Word of God know better. We know that the earth and all in it were created by the God of Heaven who spoke and brought everything into being. The Book of Genesis is a very important book, and suitably placed at the very beginning of the Bible. We take for granted that it should be common knowledge, but to many, without clear faith that everything was created by God in the beginning, they all too easily fall astray. Indeed, belief in God’s creation is fundamental to our whole Christian belief.

Today, as science has brought much to light, education has caused most in the developed world to forsake the old tendencies to attribute natural disasters to local deities and basic elements of nature. How can man still worship the moon when people have already gone there and stepped on it? However, in their “deep” learning, many in the upper echelons of education have instead attributed everything to a “big bang” and “evolution”, and even discounted the existence of God. They too, in their unbelieving, are dismayed at the signs of heaven because for them, there is no deeper purpose in the scheme of things. Life and existence is without true meaning or hope for them. They only can stand back and watch and wait for their time to end as man’s self-destruction of the earth draws nearer and nearer.

However, for us, who have the Word of God, we know that there is a purpose to all of this, and we can look forward to a new heaven and a new earth when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again in the skies as the ultimate sign of heaven.  Therefore, earthquake or tidal wave, wars or famine, let us not be dismayed but look to heaven for our Lord will come again soon.

Application:- Do not be dismayed at the signs and events around that bring us closer to the end of days. Instead, watch and continue to keep close to the Lord. He is coming again soon.

Prayer: Lord, though all else may fall around me, let my eyes be ever continually on You. You are my strength and my shield, my refuge in times of trouble. I look forward to Your coming O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Let him that glorieth glory in this

Let him that glorieth glory in this

Scripture:- Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23-24

Observation: You may be wise, you may be mighty, you may be rich. Yet don’t you boast, don’t you be proud. If you must boast, boast only in this, that you understand and know Me, that I am the Lord who shows loving kindness, justice and righteousness.

Some run after education and learning. These are not wrong in themselves but some make it their god. They love to run up long qualifications after their names – degrees, PHDs, lofty names and titles. They may think they are wise and learned and their ego puffs them up.

Some run after fame in their achievements. Climbing the highest mountains, swimming the farthest distances, running the fastest races. Again these are not wrong, but people make them their god. It is all about winning, and the accolades and personal glory that go with being the winner, the champion. They feel so special, so strong because of their achievements.

And many run after money and material riches. One earns his first million, and immediately wants 5. One drives a fine Toyota Altis, but immediately craves for a BMW. Once he attains riches, he feels great and begins to think he has it made.

In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, he calls it self-actualization, to satisfy the great human ambition that is in each of our hearts. But what did Jesus say? Whoever finds his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it! These superficial things give temporary satisfaction, but education and achievement and riches will soon pass away, together with world, but in the end, what truly matters? When all things fade away, all that is left is us and God. When we get to Heaven’s door, would we be able to honestly say that we know the Lord? That we understand Him and know what He wants?

What does God treasure? Loving kindness, justice, righteousness. Are these part of our lives? The most important of these is love. We love because God first loved us. God is love. This is the first thing we must learn and know in our relationship with God – that He loves us, and as His love remains in us, we must love others.

Application:- Examine our lives to see if we have made other things our gods – whether it be education or achievement or money. Come back to the basic most important thing – which is to know God. Thank God for loving you – Father, Spirit, Son.

Prayer:- Thank You, Father in Heaven, that You love me. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that You love me. Thank You, Holy Spirit that You love me. Help me remain in Your love, O Lord, and let me love others with Your love. Let my old man recede, and let the new man come alive in me. In Jesus name, Amen.  

Obey my voice, and I will be your God

Obey my voice, and I will be your God

Scripture:- But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. Jeremiah 7:23

Observation:- What does God command? Obey my voice! Where do we hear God’s voice? Mainly by reading His Word in the Bible. Can we call God our God, but not obey Him? No, if we do not obey Him, He is not our God, and we are not His people. What is the result of hearing God’s voice and walking in His ways? Things will go well with us. That is the promise of God for those who obey Him.

Now, during Old Testament times, when God gave the law through Moses spelling out His righteous requirements, the people of Israel failed miserably. In response, God told them that in the future, He would establish a new covenant with them, writing His law on their hearts and minds. And this was established when Jesus came as the mediator of the new covenant and gave us His Holy Spirit, the Great Counselor and Teacher who would guide us how to live according to God’s ways. However, does that mean there is no longer any need or effort on our part to obey God’s commandments. Does having a new heart mean that we will automatically obey God and do what is righteous? No! We are saved by grace, through faith, and not by works. We are new creations in God when we receive Jesus into our hearts. Yet, we find that we are still not perfect. We still have many weaknesses and sins. It is true that our works cannot earn our salvation or help us keep our salvation. We are saved only by the righteousness of Jesus Christ through His perfect sacrifice. We are forgiven, past, present, future by the blood of Jesus, but as Jesus said, ”I am the vine, you are the branches, remain in Me and I will remain in you”.

How do we remain in Jesus? By obeying Him, reading His Word and listening to the Holy Spirit which He has given us. We have a great advantage over those in the Old Testament because the Holy Spirit is with us to guide us and counsel us. Still, we have to make a conscious choice to obey His voice. There are still many things on earth that vie for our attention and call us to do or see things that are contrary to the will of the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit will not force His will upon us for that is not His way. If we continue to grieve the Holy Spirit by disobedience, a time will come when He may not remain with us.

How do we know we are walking by the Holy Spirit? Is our walk moving us to greater love of God and of Jesus and of others? Is the Word coming alive to us? Is what we are doing giving us peace and joy? The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. If we are growing in these, we must be growing in the Holy Spirit.

Application:- Seek out the Holy Spirit whom Jesus has given us when we received Him. Let us learn to be obedient to His voice, and also reading the Word often and the fruit in our lives to make sure we are following the right path.

Prayer:- Lord, open my eyes and ears that I may see and hear what Your Spirit says to me. Mould my heart to seek Your will O Lord. Let me always remain in you, Lord Jesus. In Jesus name, Amen.

Stand, see, ask and walk

Stand, see, ask and walk

Scripture:- Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Jeremiah 6:16

Observation:- In this powerful verse from Jeremiah, we see a model of how we are to live life according to God’s ways.

Firstly, we are to Stand in the ways. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Since Jesus is the way, to stand in the way means to come to Jesus. Another important aspect about standing in the way is to stand in the Word. Our Lord Jesus is after all the Word made flesh. So, it is firstly, coming to Jesus and coming to the Word!

Secondly, we are to See. In our meditations, it is good to close our eyes and look at Jesus and behold His marvelous face. As we read the Word, we are called to open our eyes and see what the Spirit may show us.

Thirdly, we are to Ask – to ask for the old paths, where is the good way. Jesus said “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you.” Our attitude is to seek what is good and where in our lives we need to change.

Fourthly, we are to Walk therein – After we receive learning from spending time with Jesus and the Word, looking and asking, we must apply what we learn. James exhorts us to be doers of the word and not hearers only for a man who hears the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at himself in a mirror and goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

Finally, we see the result of doing these:- We will find rest for our souls. Remember the words of Jesus “Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Application:- Make it a point to come to Jesus, to come to the Word daily, and spend time looking. Then ask, and after receiving wisdom, walk in what we have learnt.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as I spend time with You and behold Your lovely face, reveal much truth to me, and teach me how I should change to be more like You. Open my eyes to see Your Word that I may hear the Words You speak to me. Let me not be only a hearer but also a doer of all You teach me. In Jesus name, Amen.

The former and latter rains

The former and latter rains

Scripture: Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest Jeremiah 5:24

Observation:- In Jeremiah Chapter 5, we see that one of the Lord’s rebuke of His people was that they did not fear the Lord who gave them both the former and the latter rains in His season. Now, regarding the former and latter rains, they refer to the two main rainy seasons in Israel each year. The former rain at the end of spring was for the harvest of grain, and the latter rain at the end of autumn was for fruit. As there was no rain in summer, these two rains were crucial for Israel for harvest. Without these rains, there would be drought and a very difficult time for the people indeed.

For us too, there are different seasons in our lives. There are seasons where we enjoy rain and harvest. There are seasons where we have to wait and be patient while waiting for our fruit to grow. The people of Israel took God’s sun and rain for granted and turned away from God. For us, it is important to recognize and be aware that all blessings come from God, even the blessings that we do not deserve. Jesus said that our Father in Heaven causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous in Matthew 5:45. In good seasons, when we are blessed, we should be thankful to God and appreciate all He gives us. In not so good seasons, we need to continue to seek Him and trust Him and wait patiently for the latter rain, the blessings that He will give according to His timing.

Symbolically, the picture of God pouring out His Spirit on us is likened to rain. As prophesied through the prophet Joel, since God first poured out His Spirit at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has continued to move mightily  in various times and places, bringing revival to diverse nations.

Individually, some of us perhaps remember a time when we were really on fire for God, but over time, perhaps we have grown cold and less passionate. That initial time could be for us like the former rain, but in these last days, as we seek God, He may send upon us His latter rain, a new drive and passion to serve Him and seek the lost as He pours out His Spirit upon us and inspires and empowers us to do more for His glory that we could ever hope for or imagine.

Application:- Be aware that there are seasons of blessing and seasons of testing, but no matter what, always praise God and trust in Him. Ask our Father in Heaven to pour forth more and more of His Spirit upon us, like rain.

Prayer: Father Lord, I thank You that You make all things beautiful in Your time. Strengthen me O Lord. In good seasons and difficult seasons, let me always revere Your name. Fill me, Father in Heaven, with more and more of Your Holy Spirit, like rain. In Jesus name, Amen.

  

The fallow ground and the thorns

The fallow ground and the thorns

Scripture:- For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Jeremiah 4:3

Observation:- In this Scripture, we see the Lord continue to call the men of Judah and Jerusalem to repentance. Firstly, the Lord calls them to break up their fallow ground, which is a reference to their hearts. Fallow ground is uncultivated, barren and unfit for planting crop until it is broken up and tilled. For us too, our hearts are sometimes like that, hardened, set in our own ways. We cannot move forward and bear fruit for the Lord until we let the Lord break up the hardness of our hearts. This may involve some pain, some hardship, but ultimately, it is necessary for us to bear good fruit later.

Remember how Jesus said “Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Imagine coming to Jesus and letting Him give us His yoke, and till our hearts according to His Words. As we come to Jesus, and wait and spend time with Him, we will be surprised how easily our heart softens and changes in His presence.

Secondly, the Lord warns the men not to sow among thorns. Here, the parable of the seed comes to mind. Jesus spoke of how when the farmer scatters the seed, it falls on different types of grounds. Some of the seed fell on thorny ground where thorns grew up with the seed making it unfruitful. The Lord explained that the thorns as the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things which come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Are we worried? We must learn to cast our cares on Jesus and trust Him? Are we beginning to be deceived by wealth? We must not let money master us, but realize that money is only fleeting and temporary, but instead seek God’s kingdom. Are our desires always for other things? It could be certain hobbies we are obsessed with, it could be food, it could be shopping, movies, relationships, anything at all that always fills our minds and hearts and takes away our attention from Jesus and His Words.

Application: Spend time with Jesus in reading His Word and praying, and let Him break up the fallow ground of our hearts and cultivate it according to His ways. Beware of the worries of life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires of other things that come in and choke the Word. Ask God for forgiveness and wisdom and strength to overcome the temptations of the world.

Prayer:- Lord Jesus, draw my heart to spend much time with You, that my heart may be changed to Your ways in love. Keep my eyes away from the worries of life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things. In Jesus name, Amen.

Pastors according to mine heart

Scripture:- And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. Jeremiah 3:15

Observation: Moving on to Jeremiah Chapter 3, we see the Lord calling to Israel and Judah to repent and turn back to Him, and one of the promises He made to them was that He would give them pastors according to the Lord’s own heart, who would feed them with knowledge and understanding.

After the Lord’s resurrection, He called out Peter again to commission him to take care of His church. Three times the Lord asked Peter “Do you love me?” and then commissioned Peter to feed His sheep, His lambs. The main role of pastors and leaders of the church is to feed the congregation, with knowledge and understanding of the ways of God.

What sets aside a good pastor or a good shepherd? It is one who seeks God’s heart, who wants to know what is important to God and teach the people accordingly. A pastor who focuses on himself and his own glory does not have a heart according to God’s heart. His main priority is his own pride and not God’s glory.

How do we know if a pastor is after the heart of God? We can see much in his attitude to Jesus. If he is in love with Jesus, and this love shows in his speech, and action, we know he is a good pastor. As emphasized by the apostle John, God is love, and whoever knows God must walk in love. The pastor who loves God and love his people is a good shepherd, for he walks after the Lord Himself who is the Good Shepherd, who knows his sheep and whose sheep knows Him.

Application:- Not all of us are called to be pastors or leaders, but all of us are called to seek God’s heart, like King David of old. Though a young shepherd boy, he was dearly loved by God because of the way he looked for God. He was a man after God’s own heart. Pray too for our pastors and leaders, that they may have a heart after God’s own heart, for in so doing, they will be wonderful pastors and shepherd indeed.

Prayer:- Lord, help me to have a heart which is after Your own, that I may know Your will – what You love and what is important to You. I lift up to You, Lord, my Pastors, my leaders. Grant them a heart after Your own, that they may serve You in deep love and knowledge and understanding. In Jesus name, Amen.

The fountain of living waters

The fountain of living waters

Scripture:- For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13

Observation:- In his early message to Israel, the prophet Jeremiah was required to deliver a harsh rebuke. Although Israel had been specially handpicked and made into a great nation in a beautiful country by the Lord, they had forsaken Him time and again and ran after other gods. In this particular verse, the picture is given of Israel forsaking fountains of living waters for man-made cisterns which were broken and could hold no water.

This is a question that we too need to ask ourselves? Where is our security, our source of strength? Is it in the fountain of living waters which is our Lord, or is it in man, or even in our own wisdom and strength? The beautiful description of the fountain of living waters is also referred to by Jesus of the Holy Spirit. He said that to the Samaritan woman at the well:- Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. In Isaiah, it is written “by springs of water he shall guide them.

In the Proverbs, it is written “Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it” and ”The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook”. The Holy Spirit is the source of all wisdom, and as our Guide and Counselor, we would do well to heed His voice and His counsel rather than trust in the wisdom of men.

Application: See God as the fountain of living waters, in particular the Holy Spirit which Jesus gives us. He is life and wisdom that comes from within us. Ask God to help us discern the Holy Spirit and listen to His voice, that His wisdom and love and peace may become living water flowing out of our lives.

Prayer: Father God, give me more of Your Spirit in Jesus name. Let Your Holy Spirit be a wellspring of life flowing out from within me, blessing others with wisdom and joy and love and peace. Bless You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

The sun no more thy light

The sun no more thy light

Scripture: The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time. Isaiah 60:19-22

Observation:- In the wonderful book of Isaiah, prophecy is rich, spanning various times and places, peoples and purposes. In Isaiah 60, we see a picture of the very end, when God will come down and be with His people forever. It is the fairy tale ending come true, the marvelous end that all of us in Christ Jesus eagerly anticipate and hope for. 

In that time, Isaiah tells us, we will no longer need the sun and the moon to give us light for the Lord Himself will be unto us an everlasting light. The brightness of His glory shining forth will be all the light needed by the nations. He tells us of a time when all mourning and sadness will be ended, and the people shall be all righteous. There will be no evil or darkness or sadness at all in the city of our Great King.

As God’s people, we are described as the branch of God’s planting, the work of His hands. Our Lord Jesus Himself gave us this picture, of He Himself being the true vine, and we who follow Him as the branches. Our life comes from Jesus. He is the source of life for us. Our purpose is to glorify God, and that’s why He made us and led us to Him to be saved.

It is written that the righteous shall live by faith. We are righteous not by our own deeds but we are righteous because it is Jesus Christ who clothes us with His robes of righteousness. Our part is to have faith, and believe in God, and He will credit His righteousness unto us. The Scripture says that our own righteous acts are like filthy rags before God. Only when we put on the righteousness of Jesus Christ can we stand before God.

Today’s reading is interestingly concluded by reference to a little one becoming a thousand and a small one a strong nation. God is in the business of miracles, of taking a little mustard seed and making a great tree, in taking nobodies and making them His great servants. It does not matter how small we are in our own eyes. It is God who enables us, and can lift us up to incredible heights, all in His good time.

Application:- Spend some moments imagining the future when God is with you, when His marvelous light illumines the city night and day. Remember that we are the planting of the Lord, branches attached to Jesus. Do not look down upon ourselves, but wait for God’s timing to fulfill His purpose in our lives.

Prayer:- Lord, how marvelous it will be when You return and take Your place in all glory. How I look forward to that day O Lord! Lord Jesus, let me always remained joined to you. You are the vine, and I am a branch. Give me patience O Lord to wait for Your timing as You continue to work in me. Praise You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Before I formed you, I knew you

Before I formed you, I knew you

Scripture:- Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Jeremiah 1:5-7

Observation: At the commencement of the book of Jeremiah, we see the calling of the major prophet to God’s service as a young man, fearful and apprehensive in his youth. His response is similar to that of Moses, who upon receiving God’s calling, gave the excuse that he could not speak well.

God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you, I knew you. Even from your mother’s womb, I ordained you as a prophet to the nations!” This is true in a sense for every one of us. Before we were even formed, God already knew us, and what we would be. He already prepared the destiny that would be ours to fulfill.

Does everyone fulfill the destiny that God has meant for him? No! Sadly, many fall away because of their pride or love for the things of the world. Saul could have been a great king, but forsook his destiny because of his pride and recklessness. Judas walked with Jesus for 3 years, and could have been a great apostle, but instead became cursed as traitor of the Lord Himself. Now, some may ask, if it was prophesied that Judas would be the traitor, where was his free will in this? Why did God allow him to be in that situation where he had no choice but to fall? Questions like these are hard for us to understand, and at our human level, there are some things we cannot really fully comprehend. For instance, our thinking is limited in a sense to the concept of time, past, present, future, but to God, who is timeless, He has seen the future. He has even been in the future. What the apostle John saw in Revelation is actually what took place in the future.

However, what we do know is that we have free choice today, in the present, where we are. It is our choice whether to submit to God and move towards the future He has planned for us or go our own way and satisfy our own ambitions and pleasures. God has ordained each one of us to be in His service in one way or another. We are not here for no reason, but we must find that reason in God for only in His will, will we truly be satisfied and fulfilled.

Now looking at Jeremiah’s response, it is typical of many of us today. Jeremiah wisely knew that it was no joke to be God’s servant, and at that time, if he had the faintest idea what he would have to go through, he would fall on his knees and beg God for mercy. He rightly pointed out that he was still young, and it was unlikely the older and wiser would listen to him. However, God reassured him. “Go to whom I tell you to go to. Speak what I tell you to speak.” God promised to be with him every step of the way. And that is how God works with us to. If we seek Him, He will tell us where to go, what to say, one day at a time.

Application:- Know that each one of us has a destiny from birth prepared by God. Seek to fulfill God’s destiny for us by seeking to follow Him one day at a time, to go where He wants us to go, and say what He wants us to say. God’s Spirit is with us, to guide us. He is our Counselor.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for the destiny that You planned for me, even from my mother’s womb. Help me fulfill that destiny by following you every day, one step at a time. Tell me where to go, and what to say, and teach my heart to hear Your voice. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Spirit of the Covenant

The Spirit of the Covenant

Scripture:- As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. Isaiah 59:21

Observation:- Looking at this Scripture from Isaiah, we get a picture of some of the wonderful characteristics of the new covenant. What is a covenant? A covenant is a contract, an agreement between two parties. Sometimes a covenant is one-sided, like when God made a covenant with Noah and all the creatures of the earth never to destroy the earth by water again after the great flood. After the Israelites came out of Egypt, God then made the old covenant through Moses. God gave them His ten commandments and his laws, and the Israelites would receive great blessing if they obeyed, but great curses if they did not. The old covenant was based on human effort to follow God’s standards, and ended in failure, because Israel kept turning away. However, when Jesus came, He set in place the new covenant in His blood, whereby we are no longer justified by the blood of animals, but by Jesus’ blood. And while the old covenant was based on human effort to keep the law, the new covenant is based on God’s power through the Holy Spirit which is given to every Believer, and enables them to know God’s ways and heart.

Today’s verse in Isaiah speaks of this aspect of the new covenant- the Holy Spirit being upon us and putting God’s Word in our mouths and our children’s mouths and the mouths of our grandchildren. Jeremiah talks about God writing His law in our hearts.

Application:- God’s Word is always true when we apply it in faith. Paul talks about living by the Spirit so that we do not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. First we must believe and remind ourselves that God’s Spirit is upon us. It is good to declare it. “God’s Spirit is upon me”. Second, we need to choose to be aware of the Holy Spirit in what we think and speak. Sometimes, when we are at a loss over what to say or do in a particular situation, it is good to say a quick prayer “Holy Spirit, teach me what to say/ what to do”. As we practice this, and also read more and more of God’s Word as He gives us the hunger, we will learn to live more and more by the Spirit each day.

Prayer:- Lord Jesus, I thank You for the new covenant in Your blood, which was shed for us for the forgiveness of our sins. I thank You for the Holy Spirit which You have given me, to be My Helper, My Counselor. Holy Spirit, give me wisdom and peace. Stay with me always, and teach me what to say, what to think, what to do. Bless You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.